Visakhapatnam, Nov 12 (IANS) Astrobase Space Technologies on Thursday announced an investment of Rs 800 crore in Andhra Pradesh to significantly expand its rocket testing and launch vehicle development infrastructure, marking a major step in strengthening India's private space transportation ecosystem.
The space technology company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board during the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 in Visakhapatnam to expand its existing rocket engine testing facility at Thimmasamudram in Sri Sathya Sai district.
Under the expansion plan, Astrobase will add 339 acres to its existing facility, increasing the total footprint to around 360 acres from approximately 22 acres at present.
Commenting on the development, Astrobase Space Technologies CEO and Co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal said the expansion marks a significant milestone in Astrobase's efforts to build advanced space transportation capabilities from India.
"This expanded infrastructure will enable us to undertake critical testing programmes, including static hot-fire tests and stage-level hop tests, while accelerating the development of reusable launch vehicle technologies," Khandelwal noted.
"India has already demonstrated remarkable prowess in space exploration and
technology. The next frontier is to translate this strength into the ability to transport payloads to space more frequently, reliably and at scale," he added.
The project is expected to generate around 500 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 indirect employment opportunities in the region.
The announcement comes shortly after Astrobase unveiled plans to invest Rs 500 crore in Karnataka for a dedicated manufacturing facility in Bengaluru.
The proposed unit will house advanced additive manufacturing and fabrication infrastructure, non-destructive testing and quality inspection facilities, along with engine and stage assembly capabilities to support the development of its Everest engine and AB220 medium-lift launch vehicle programme.
The two-day 31st CII Partnership Summit, being held in Visakhapatnam on November 12-13, is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government.
The summit is expected to facilitate investment proposals worth up to Rs 11 lakh crore and create around 2.5 lakh jobs across sectors.
The space technology company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board during the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026 in Visakhapatnam to expand its existing rocket engine testing facility at Thimmasamudram in Sri Sathya Sai district.
Under the expansion plan, Astrobase will add 339 acres to its existing facility, increasing the total footprint to around 360 acres from approximately 22 acres at present.
Commenting on the development, Astrobase Space Technologies CEO and Co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal said the expansion marks a significant milestone in Astrobase's efforts to build advanced space transportation capabilities from India.
"This expanded infrastructure will enable us to undertake critical testing programmes, including static hot-fire tests and stage-level hop tests, while accelerating the development of reusable launch vehicle technologies," Khandelwal noted.
"India has already demonstrated remarkable prowess in space exploration and
technology. The next frontier is to translate this strength into the ability to transport payloads to space more frequently, reliably and at scale," he added.
The project is expected to generate around 500 direct jobs and nearly 1,000 indirect employment opportunities in the region.
The announcement comes shortly after Astrobase unveiled plans to invest Rs 500 crore in Karnataka for a dedicated manufacturing facility in Bengaluru.
The proposed unit will house advanced additive manufacturing and fabrication infrastructure, non-destructive testing and quality inspection facilities, along with engine and stage assembly capabilities to support the development of its Everest engine and AB220 medium-lift launch vehicle programme.
The two-day 31st CII Partnership Summit, being held in Visakhapatnam on November 12-13, is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government.
The summit is expected to facilitate investment proposals worth up to Rs 11 lakh crore and create around 2.5 lakh jobs across sectors.
